Closing Terry McAuliffe’s Inner Circle

Dorothy McAuliffe: She’ll now split her time between Richmond and the couple’s McLean home. But those close to them say she’ll still be a full partner.

• Aneesh Chopra: The US’s first chief technology officer, he once ran for lieutenant governor. With his ties to Obama and local pols, he’ll be “very helpful,” an insider says.

• • Bill and Hillary Clinton: Bonded to McAuliffe since the early ’90s, they both stumped for him in the governor’s race, which many consider a dry run for Hillary 2016.

• • David Jones: A finance staffer for leading Democrats since the early ’90s, Jones is now a partner with the DC consulting firm Capitol Counsel.

• Hani Masri: McAuliffe has been heavily involved in this generous donor’s Tomorrow’s Youth Organization, which helps families in the Middle East. 

• • • Jackson “Jay” Dunn: Their friendship pre-dates the Clinton years. The 2004-cycle DNC finance director was on Hillary’s team in ’08 and may play McAuliffe’s role in a 2016 run.

• John Boland: McAuliffe did business with Boland, a commercial real-estate broker from Chevy Chase, in the 1990s, and the two remain “closest friends,” according to an insider.

• Levar Stoney: An ex-employee of McAuliffe’s electric-car venture, he became deputy campaign manager and has risen to Secretary of the Commonwealth. A favorite of the governor’s.

• • Mark Bowles: A major fundraiser for McAuliffe-for-governor and a partner at the politically connected Richmond law firm McGuireWoods.

• Patrick Hallahan: The thirtysomething political consultant was a senior adviser for the gubernatorial run but stayed out of the administration. Look for him to pop up on another major Dem team for ’16.

• • Peter O’Keefe: A skilled fundraiser, he worked for McAuliffe at the DNC and has remained extremely close, several political veterans say.

• Sean Parker: McAuliffe, who likes to talk business and raise money, will likely keep the wealthy Facebook invest-or and political do-nor (and Herndon native) close.

• • Senator Mark Warner: Former Virginia governor Warner met McAuliffe at the DNC in 1980 and may be his best political resource in the state.

• Suzette Denslow: His deputy chief of staff was a legislative liaison to governors Kaine and Warner and is a line to Richmond mayor Dwight Jones, from whom McAuliffe swiped her after his election.

• John Raffaelli: With Peter Kelly, he was part of McAuliffe’s first law and lobbying firm. The three former partners remain close.

A version of this article appears in the March 2014 issue of Washingtonian.

Carol Ross Joynt